Damian's Dilemma
by metheperson7
Summary: Damian Wayne son of Batman and Thalia Al Ghul dose NOT wet the bed...until he dose. For a prideful baby asassin the only thing worse than being a bedwetter is having your siblings find out that you are a bedwetter.
1. Chapter 1

Damian woke with a start panting heavily he didn't remember what he had dreamed about but his heart was racing and he was drenched in sweat, literally soaked, he looked down to see a huge puddle surely he couldn't have sweat that much he thought. It was then he realized it was not in fact sweat he was sitting in a puddle of urine. Damian Wayne the 12 year old assassin trained vigilante son of the bat man had just wet the bed! He trembled in shame were he still caught up in his old ways from the league he might have killed him self on the spot however he figured this might be one of those times where despite being a failure death or exile were not permitted. Howeve he couldn't bear it if his family found out about this failure surely they would tease him and perhaps strip him of his tittle as robin or worse Grayson would claim it was no big deal but he would look at Damian differently and go easy on him in training and limit his patrol like he was an incapable toddler looking down he was reminded that he was an incapable toddler, but nobody else had to know ;he got up and began to pull the sheets off of his bed, hiding the evidence was of the utmost importance. He changed out of his pajamas and threw on a clean pair of boxer shorts. Wet sheets and clothes in hand he dashed down the hall to the laundry room, fortunately the washer was empty he put his sheets and clothes in before bolting back to his room and taking a shower. Once he was clean he set out to find where Alfred kept the spare sheets and quietly remade his bed. Rather than sleep again he put on his clothes for the day a quick glance at the clock told him it was 3:45 a perfectly acceptable time to begin morning drills.

The experience had been pushed forcibly to the back of his mind although he found himself blushing in shame throughout the day every-time he remembered what had occurred. He didn't expect it to happen again for an Al-ghul Wayne to disgrace himself once was absurd nevermind multiple times so when it continued every night for a week Damian was convinced that he was unfit to be the son of batman and that if anybody ever found out it would be the end of him. He had taken to sleeping on the floor due to ruining both sides of his mattress already.

Damian had just stepped out of the shower, a part of his nightly routine when he realized that someone was sitting on his bed. His eyes momentarily widened before he regained his composure. what was Dick doing in his room?

"Grayson I assume you have a valid reason for intruding my room at this hour" he said keeping formal emotionless facade.

"I noticed that you had been getting up in the middle of the night and I wanted to know if everything was okay" said Dick concern evident in his voice.

"I can assure you Grayson that everything is fine"

"Damian if you want to talk about anything I'm here" said Dick ignoring Damian's statement.

"There is one thing that has been bothering me" started Damian

"What is it?" Asked Dick gently.

"There's an imbecile sitting on my bed while I am trying to sleep" said Damian flatly.

"Alright alright I know when I'm not wanted" said Dick breaking a slight smile at Damian's joke "but seriously if you need anything I'm always here for you"

"I already told you..."

"Okay I'm going" said Dick leaving the room.

Damian let out a sigh of relief, Had Grayson stayed much longer he might have discovered the stain on his mattress and his life would be ruined.

He settled into his spot on the floor and fell asleep hoping he wouldn't wake up wet.

As it turned out hoping was not enough to prevent an accident he used the dry part of his comforters to mop up the wet spot on the floor before beginning his nightly trek to the laundry room. Tonight however he was greeted with a surprise Dick had taken it upon himself to camp out in the hallway in front of Damian's room, Damian didn't know what to do anyone else he would be able to slip past however this was Dick Grayson the current batman and even a highly trained assassin would hesitate to slip past him especially with this much at steak.

He weighed his options he could retreat and hide in his room until a more acceptable time to wake up and hope that nobody decided to come into his room before he could wash his sheets however once Dick and Tim were awake it would be much harder to sneak his things into the laundry room. He could attempt to slip past Dick with his training he had at least a 50% shot at making it.

He decided to go for it bundling up his wet clothes in his comfotor he silently made his way down the hall and had Dick not been raised by Bruce Wayne he would have gotten away with it.

Dick jolted awake when he heard the lightest footsteps on the manor floor.

"Damian!" He exclaimed "you scared me"

"Tt are you possibly dimwitted enough that you expected anything less for sleeping on the floor" responded Damian harshly in an attempt to diverge the attention from himself.

"I was worried about you getting up in the middle of the night so I decided to investigate" said Dick while Damian's heart raced he realized the inevitable outcome of the situation was nigh "What are you doing up anyway?" Dick asked still oblivious to Damian's predicament. For once Damian had nothing to say he tried to form words but failed that's when Dick saw it, the look on his face, it was the same look villains got when they knew they had been defeated, his eyes darted down to the bundled up bedding in Damian's arms why would he be carrying that? and was that a set of his pj's rolled up inside of them? and why was there a big wet stain? And why did it smell like urine? Oh Dicks eyes widened as he realized what was going on.

"Damian did you...?"

"I spilled something on my bedding" said Damian however his face was white and he had a slight tremor.

"Damian it's ok" said Dick gently.

"Of course it is" snapped Damian "it is a simple spill".

Dick realized that although his secret was openly exposed he wouldn't break his facade unless Dick came right out and said it.

"Damian I know you've been wetting the bed"

"You are mistaken" defended Damian harshly though his face fell as he spoke the words and his eyes glistened with tears that threatened to fall.

"It's ok Damian" assured Dick.

"I am the son of Thalia al ghul and Bruce Wayne I am not supposed to we- to do this" said Damian struggling to hold back tears.

"Hey it happens"

"Not to me"

"Things like this can happen to anyone especially when there under the amount of stress that you are"

"I am weak" said Damian softly "I have failed father". Dicks heart broke at those words how. Did Damian truly believe his father would have been disappointed?

"Damian Bruce wouldn't think any less of you for this"

"Of course he would, father would want me to carry on his mission, and his legacy"

"You have been carrying on his mission with me"

"No Grayson, you fail to understand"

"Damian what am I missing"

"The future Bateman cannot be doing something so childish, and certainly not at 12 years old"

Dick couldn't believe it, did Damian truly feel something so insignificant that happened now could affect him becoming batsman in the future? And did he really feel as though twelve was too old to wet the bed? Well it was unusual but Damian had just lost his father, his mother had a bounty on his head and he spent his nights fighting criminals"

"Damian you know this won't affect who you become in the future, if anything it will make you stronger"

"Grayson you have lost your mind how could this blatant display of weakness make me stronger"

"Because your going to overcome this, it isn't easy and it isn't fair that you have to go through this but we're going to get through this just like everything else...now go take a shower I'll clean the rest"

"I am perfectly capable of cleaning my own mess"

"I know Dami, but we're in this together" As corny as Grayson was he had managed to make Damian feel better.

"Thank you Richard" said Damian softly. Dick was surprised that Damian had let the formality drop enough to use his first name,

He knew it meant Damian trusted him. He also hoped that in the morning Damian would be back to his normal curt tone referring to him as an incompetent fool as though nothing happened, because in the long run this wasn't a big deal and he hoped Damian would be able to see that.

Dick realized that Damian's mattress was ruined and there was a wet spot on the floor. Damian must have been sleeping there because of the mattress. He realized something needed to be done to prevent this from happening to the next mattress. He would need to buy a mattress cover and possibly some form of protection such as Goodnites but he was sure Damian wouldn't take that well.

After he showered Damian returned to his room to find Dick had cleaned the sheets and replaced his mattress.

"I took one of the mattresses from the spare bedrooms" said Dick

"But I'm going to buy a cover to put over it if that's ok with you" he added hoping Damian wouldn't resist. Damian's face heated up slightly but other than that it remained neutral.

"I suppose that would be a wise decision" said Damian after all ruining another mattress would only serve to humiliate him further.

"There's one more thing" said Dick cautiously not wanting to upset Damian. "I was thinking we could get you some protection, to wear at night"

"Protection?"

"They sell absorbent underwear for people your age who have problems at night" said Dick being vague as possible to avoid upsetting Damian. Damian understood what Dick was saying and his first instinct was to refuse to wear something so infantile, but he had just proved that he had the control of an infant so it made sense that he would wear a diaper like one, he deserved the humiliation for his weakness so he said.

"Ok"

"Your ok with this?" Asked Dick expecting Damian to refuse.

"Tt that I what I just said Grayson"

"Ok then...want to go spar?"

Damian nodded and the two of them went to spar, Dick realized that Damian might be off his game due to that mornings events so he started off going easy on him. Damian realized what Dick was doing, he was going easy on him because he viewed him as weak, perhaps if he called him out on it he would be able to get more of a fight out of him.

"Tt if I wanted to fight a common street thug I would spar with Drake". Dick realized he had been caught and upped his game but the image of Damian from that morning looking as helpless as a normal kid was fresh in his mind and he was unable to fight to his true strength. After taking down Dick 3 times Damian realized it was hopeless.

"I realize now that due to recent events you are unable to view me as an equal, I won't burden you any further" with that Damian turned and left.

To be continued...


	2. Chapter 2

Dick felt terrible, he remembered the frustration he felt as a child. His opponents often underestimated him due to his youth. For Damian to receive that kind of treatment from his older brother must have been a major blow to his pride. Apologizing wouldn't help Damian didn't respond well to talking about feelings or displays of affection. The best way to prove anything to Damian was through action, and as much as Dick wanted to he really couldn't fight Damian as an equal so soon after his moment of weakness. He decided he would make it up to Damian later somehow. He needed to get Damian some Goodnites before the store closed.

Dick picked a run down pharmacy in one of the worst parts of Gotham because he knew the odds of him being discovered by the media were slim. Despite this he wore sunglasses and a hoodie to ensure his privacy. When he arrived at the store he nodded to Vinny Becker Jr. a middle aged man with a protruding beer belly and orange stains on his pants from wiping cheese dust after finishing a family size bag of Cheetos. He knew Vinny recognized him, the Wayne family had been using this store for years as a discreet place to buy things and fill prescriptions without causing a media scandal. Vinny barely acknowledged his presence as far as he was concerned a customers privacy was of the utmost importance, celebrity or not.

Dick walked over to the aisle that contained the diapers. The Goodnites were in the furthest part of the aisle as they didn't quite fit in with the diapers primarily used on infants. Dicks face flushed red, he wasn't shopping for himself but he still felt embarrassed. His embarrassment made him feel guilty, he didn't want Damian to feel ashamed of his bedwetting and yet he couldn't even purchase Goodnites without experiencing secondhand embarrassment. He brought the package up to Vinny.

"I wouldn't recommend the Goodnites Mr. Grayson" said Vinny casually as though he were discussing the weather. Dick however was embarrassed he felt bad but he couldn't stop himself from wondering if Vinny thought these were for him. He felt a strong urge to tell the pharmacist that they weren't his but he didn't want to betray Damian's trust.

"I think they'll be alright" he replied. They wouldn't fit him but Damian was the right size and age for them. Despite Dicks silence in the subject Vinny seemed to be aware that the pull ups were for someone younger.

"I have a lot of parents come in here and buy Goodnites and a few days later they come back and buy heavier protection from the adult incontinence section, I'm honestly considering taking the Goodnites off the shelves."

"What's wrong with them?" Questioned Dick

"They leak" replied Vinny. Dick considered this Damian would be even more humiliated if he went through with wearing protective and it turned out not to be helpful at all. He was better off getting something that would offer enough protection.

"What would you recommend?" He asked in a low voice, nobody else was in the store but the humiliation kept him from talking in a louder voice.

"If you go into the adult incontinence section and pick the smallest size of the first brand down the aisle it will fit a kid" he said knowingly.

"Ok where is that?" Asked Dick.

"It's right after the feminine hygiene products. If my memory serves me right you are familiar with the isle" he said with a smirk. Dick's face turned even redder, he had been sent by several girlfriends on late night tampon runs almost as humiliating as this experience. He walked down the isle blushing at the sight of pads and tampons and again when he reached his destination. He grabbed the package Vinny had recommended, contemplating if he should get one or two packages. He grabbed two so he wouldn't have to come back for more anytime soon. He hastily checked out and headed back to the manor.

Upon arrival he discreetly placed the packages in Damian's closet. He quickly slipped the plastic mattress cover he had bought onto the bed, it made a loud crinkling noise and he was sure it would irritate Damian to no end. Once the bed was remade he decided to go out, he wanted to talk to Damian and apologize for this morning but he didn't know how to get through to him. Dealing with assassin children rarely compared to dealing with normal children, not that it had ever stopped Dick from seeking advice from mom blogs before.

When Damian returned to his room he noticed the bed had been freshly made. He supposed Dick thought him too much of a weak imbecile to put the covers on his own bed. He sat down on his bed and turned bright red when he heard the sound of the mattress cover crinkling beneath him. It reminded him of his own failures. He looked around the room and soon found two packages of...diapers!?. Grayson had specifically told him he would be purchasing Goodnites. He was not prepared to wear diapers. Was he truly that pathetic. Filled with rage he grabbed his sword and stormed down to the Batcave.

"Grayson"! He hollered with rage. "

"He went out" said Tim startling him. In his rage he had failed to notice Drake sitting by the Batcomputer working on some sort of case. "What did he do to get you so worked up?" he asked

"Nothing that concerns you Drake" Damian spat.

"Alright fine don't tell me why your throwing a temper tantrum" said Tim, he knew he shouldn't egg Damian on but he was such a brat. He didn't realize how lucky he was that Dick picked him to be Robin, and Dick constantly let the brat walk all over him.

"I'm not throwing a temper tantrum" yelled Damian. The infantile term striking a nerve. Tim crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.

"So your not having an uncontrollable outburst of anger and frustration?" asked Tim.

"Because it looks like once again Dick did something to wound your fragile ego and as usual it made you angry and homicidal" Damian charged at Tim sword in hand, his words had hit home and he was angry. This was exactly the reaction Tim had wanted he grabbed his bo staff which he had left nearby and began to fight Damian. As much as he hated to admit it they were pretty evenly matched and he knew Damian was holding back his more lethal training despite his rage.

Tim's attacks had Damian on the defense, then again there wasn't much he could do with a sword to retaliate if he wanted to avoid permanently damaging Drake. If he wanted to gain the upper hand he would have to distract Drake, however he would only get one shot, his opponent was smart, he wouldn't fall into a trap twice. Damian had an advantage though, he had stormed down in a fit of rage and Drake was unaware that his emotional state had been pacified by the combat. The heat of battle truly was the place where Damian felt most comfortable. His mind was finally calm and focused rather than distraught like it had been all week. He could trick Drake into thinking his moves were sloppy and full of rage. He let out an angry cry and swung the sword with both hands twisting his body to leave a carefully calculated careless opening, and YES! Drake took the bait swinging his bo staff at Damian's exposed stomach only for Damian to abruptly change the trajectory of his blade and slice the staff in half like with was made of play-dough. He then pointed the tip of his sword at a his predecessor in a show of victory.

Tim couldn't believe Damian had tricked him like that. Damian couldn't have been as mad as he initially seemed. He never used his head when he was angry. Damian smirked as he lowered his weapon. He hadn't fought like that in a long time, him and an opponent going blow by blow a test of strength, and intelligence. Since his arrival in Gotham he had been going into fights blinded by rage. Unable to enjoy the thrill of the battle. The technique, fitness, and focus required to be victorious. He knew Drake had gone into the fight as he usually did himself: angry and certain he would win. He hadn't experienced the rush of uncertainty throughout the battle only rage and unexpected crushing defeat. He decided to offer Drake the opportunity, after all he was acting like a much worthier opponent than Grayson.

"Would you like to spar hand-to hand?" asked Damian to Tim's surprise.

"sure" he said withholding the questions burning in his mind as to why Damian was acting so oddly.

He could tell from the way the boy fought that he needed a distraction from something, the way he fought without losing focus for even a second. As though if his thoughts wandered back to the thing he was so angry about for even a second the world would come to an abrupt end. Damian bested Tim once more and Tim couldn't help but be astounded. Damien possessed the true fighting power of an al Ghul trained from birth. He realised that the Damian they were accustomed to, consumed by his pride was only a fraction of the boy's true power. Whatever had humbled the boy had unleashed a weapon. It's a scary thing how competition can reveal a lot about a person. Each competitor bares a bit of his soul to the other revealed through the amount of sheer determination and will to win. Tim decided to use this to his advantage, Damian had put up a mental wall not allowing himself to think about something, this was causing him to have 100% focus on the current battle. If Tim could just tear down a bit of that wall the whole thing would shatter.

"So what were you gonna behead Dick for earlier?" he asked conversationally as though he wasn't trying to get a rise out of the younger robin.

The question had cut through Damian's defense as he remembered the sound of the plastic sheet on his bed announcing to anyone who sat upon it that an infant slept there. He remembered the package of diapers and what they truly meant: the loss of Graysons respect towards him. In his second of distraction Tim managed to kick his legs out from beneath him.

"Tt took you long enough Drake" he said as though he expected to lose the entire time. Tim scoffed

"Don't be a sore loser brat"

"You would do well to remember that I defeated you twice before you managed to take me down despite you having the obvious advantage"

"You had a sword the first time!" exclaimed Tim.

"You had a weapon far more suited to non-lethal combat, along with the advantage of training generously given to you by my father in the ways of non-lethal combat. I only recently learned these methods and had to suppress years of training in the most deadly styles of martial arts and yet we were evenly matched. Clearly I am the superior combattant although you probably already knew that seeing as I am robin and you are not" said Damian.

"Are you seriously bragging about being a killer. That's the entire reason Dick made you robin anyway he didn't think you were better he just didn't want anyone else to die because he left you on your own."

"Don't be a sore loser Drake, my arrival merely revealed your inadequacies as a member of this family."

"My inadequacies?! The only reason you're even in this family is because your mother tricked Bruce and he felt obligated to take you in"

"I heard he only took you in because of your pathetic begging, my father always pitied the weak"

"Well he certainly didn't hate people for being weak, he did hate people for being murderers and like you said it's still hard for you not to kill because that's what you are a killer!" The word hung heavy in the air and Tim knew it had hit home like he intended but he couldn't bring himself to feel bad. Everything he said was true and the kid had tried to kill him after all. Any mutual respect the boys had gained for each other during the friendly duel had been lost. There hatred of each other had been strengthened.

Damian felt one thing in that moment pure hatred. Half of it was directed at Tim but the other half was directed at himself. He was frozen in place unsure of how to respond. Fortunately titus seemed to sense his masters distress and began to bark.

"Your right Titus our daily idiocy threshold has been exceeded, if you'll excuse us Drake I don't want to risk any brain cells to exposure from you". He said cooly, exiting the room with his dog by his side.

He went outside with Titus and played catch but even his beloved dog couldn't cheer him up. He went back to his room. He just wanted to stop existing for a while and sleep was the least permanent way to accomplish that. He contemplated putting on a diaper but he was too upset to even think about it, and he would probably be fine if he only took a short nap he reasoned. He drifted off to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Dick returned to the manor at 5:50 in the evening. He had tried to focus on other things but Damian's words from that morning were stuck in his mind. The last thing he wanted was for Damian to think he didn't respect him. Especially because he knew Damian's idea of self-worth was tied a little too close to his fighting abilities and Robin identity. As much as he tried he wasn't sure that Damian knew he loved him for much more than his Robin abilities. Damian had many more endearing qualities hidden behind his tough demeanor. He could be incredibly generous, and thoughtful at times. He had an adorable soft spot for animals. His artistic talent revealed a spark of creativity that often lay dormant behind his militant behavior. And he possessed such strong courage outside the battlefield, he left his entire life behind and betrayed his mother to do the right thing. For a ten year old to come and live with an adopted brother he just met in order to do the right thing was truly amazing. Especially when he stayed true to his morals despite his own mother disowning him. Skilled fighter or not, Damian was an amazing kid. Now if only Dick could get that message across to him. He needed to know that his problem didn't change how much Dick loved his little brother.

He went up to Damian's room expecting to find him reading or sketching. Instead he found the youngest Wayne asleep in bed surrounded by a puddle of his own urine, the package of diapers unopened under his bed. Clearly Damian had seen them because they were moved from there original location. Dick was frustrated, he thought he had gotten through to Damian. He thought they had come to an agreement. He knew Damian would be upset that he had seen his accident but he didn't want to leave him soaking in pee until he woke up. He could tell by the motion of his eyes that Damian was dreaming and given the state of the bed it was probably a nightmare. He walked over and gently shook the small boy awake.

Damian sat up quickly and drew the small blade he kept under his pillow, pointing it at his attacker. Waking the former assassin was never a wise idea because years of lethal muscle memory made him very dangerous. Damian's eyes met wide blue ones and he lowered the knife upon realising his 'attacker' was merely Grayson. He came to the slow realization that he had once more humiliated himself in his sleep. The worst part being Grayson had been there to witness his shame. He averted his gaze toward the floor.

Dick sat down on the dry edge of the bed causing the cover beneath to crinkle. The noise made Damian's face turn red. Dick reached out and placed an arm around Damian. Damian tensed at first, unexpected contact made him uneasy. In the league if the only physical contact he had was during fights so he immediately associated it with an attack. Once his initial instincts wore off he relaxed into the embrace. He often acted like he didn't like to be touched because it was easier than explaining he just didn't like unexpected touches and he had to trust someone before he let them engage in casual contact. Grayson's hugs however were something he craved. Grayson who had grown up in a loving family probably couldn't begin to comprehend the profound impact he had on Damian everytime he did the slightest thing that showed he cared. But for Damian every ounce of contact and affection helped make up for the ten years he had not known what love was. That's why Grayson was the most important person to him.

"Damian, I thought we had a deal" said Dick in a soft voice not wanting to upset Damian.

"Yes Grayson, so did I" said Damian in a voice filled with a strange mix of anger and rejection.

"You agreed to wear protection to bed"

"You said you would get pull ups" muttered Damian in a barely audible voice, just saying the word pull ups out loud increased his embarrassment tenfold. Dick then realized why Damian had taken a complete 180 on the issue of protection. He had failed to speak with him about why he got the diapers and it had wounded his ego in a big way.

"I know, but the man at the pharmacy told me that the goodnites tended to leak"

"You told someone!" exclaimed Damian sitting upright in anger

"No, but I had to check out and I never said who they were for" Damian relaxed back into Dicks embrace.

"If only mother could see me now" he commented in the smallest voice Dick had ever heard him use. Dick wanted to say that Talia would love him anyway because she was his mother and that's what mothers do. He couldn't say that though because the truth was ever since a bounty had been placed on Damian's head it became apparent even to him that Talia held no love for Damian. Instead he decided to remind Damian of his chosen family.

"Bruce would be so proud of you, of everything you've sacrificed to be in this family. Something little like this wouldn't be a big deal to him because he loved you"

"He didn't choose me" said Damian in the same small voice a few tears rolling down his cheek. At this point all his walls were down.

"No but you chose him, and he may not have lived to see it but even after he was dead you chose him. To Bruce that would have meant everything, you chose to honor his legacy despite not being able to gain his approval. At the time we were basically strangers, I was prepared for you to go back to Talia, that's probably what I would have done in your shoes. But you didn't, you chose this family and for that Bruce would be more proud of you than he was any of us."

Damian looked up at Dick with wide eyes, more tears fell but they werent of shame they were tears shed for a father that was taken before he had even gotten a chance to know him. Dicks eyes wattered too and he pulled Damian closer.

After a long embrace Dick sent Damian to shower while he cleaned the bed.

 **Sorry it's short but it's been a while and I wanted to post this before I wrote the next part. Let me know what you think your** **reviews** **keep me motivated and constructive criticism is always appreciated! Also any ideas on what should happen next?**


	4. Chapter 4

After a couple of nights Damian was getting used to wearing diapers. His problem hadn't gone away but he was more relaxed than he had been in a while. He didn't have to worry about the possibility of anyone else finding out when he went to do laundry and he wasn't losing sleep over the issue. Of course the feelings of shame the infantile garment brought were a constant presence and despite there talk he constantly questioned weather Grayson's feelings toward him had changed. He knew he was loved but were his capabilities regarded in the same way as before? He tried to assure himself but the doubt nagged at the back of his mind like a plague.

* * *

He couldn't believe it! The audacity of Grayson and Drake to do this to him. The biggest Arkham breakout since Bruce died and he was stuck working the coms. Grayson didn't want him out while there was a chance the joker was around. They didn't yet know exactly who escaped only that Batgirl and Black Bat were trying to capture Killer Croc before too much damage could be unleashed, the Red Hood and Batwoman were forming a unusual alliance to take down bane, Batman was fighting Blockbuster single handedly and Damian knew he could use backup. Bluebird a lesser known vigilante had crawled out of retirement to help some of the normal patients who had left during the chaos, many of them posed a threat not to others but to themselves and it was good to have someone working to protect them. Drake's villain was of a similar caliber to Drake himself at least in Damian's opinion. How he had failed to take down killer moth already was a true display of his patheticness. Suddenly he lost visual on Batman. He tried to contact him via the com but it was to no avail. He then heard the familiar voice of Oracle coming in through the com system."Robin I can take care of the comms I think dicks in trouble". Damian didn't hesitate he rant to the r-cycle and headed toward dicks last known location". He used the tracer in the bat suit to determine Grayson was in an abandoned warehouse near the alley they had been fighting in. Had Grayson hidden himself there when he was injured? Or was this a trap? Even if it was a trap it wouldn't matter he had to rescue his brother. He cautiously entered the warehouse only to find Grayson unconscious on the floor he ran over and was relieved to find him breathing. He sent a message to oracle asking for a med evac. He heard footsteps from behind, slow, deliberate footsteps. He turned to face none other than his biological mother Talia Al Ghul.

"I'm surprised it took you so long to get out of the cave, it's almost as though they don't think you are strong enough to fight"

"I can assure you mother, if the only reason that they would hold me back is because I would be too effective at cleaning up this mess that you have created"

"who says that I created this mess, I am merely taking advantage of an opportunity"

"it seems unlikely that you would show up so soon after an Arkham breakout, what do you seek to gain from this"

"ah Damian always so blunt, I'll return the favor and get right to the point. I have come to destroy my incompetent son"

"mother I can assure you that if you attempt to engage me in combat you will meet an untimely demise".

"What happened to your father's no killing policy, perhaps it died with him?"

Said Thalia smiling. Damian didn't look around the room but he knew there must be several ninja waiting for Thalia's command, he couldn't risk a full on fight with his brother in critical condition. He had to act like he would comply with whatever this madwoman demanded. Pretending to be amenable to killing would probably please her.

"Every rule has an exception"

"I'm surprised Damian I thought you had become weak at your father's hand but it now seems that your ability to do what needs to be done is intact. Perhaps your not a lost cause after all"

"If you have come here to attempt to kill me, as so many of your Assassins have failed to do then get on with it".

"Damian I never wanted to kill you, but I couldn't have an Al Ghul running around with Batman and refusing to kill, and when I heard of your latest display of weakness I knew it was time to end you before anyone found out"

Damian froze, she couldn't possibly know what had been happening to him could she? Seeing his shock Thalia spoke up.

"I always have eyes on you dear son I know where your family goes, what they buy, and who they buy it for. But fret not we can fix it, come with me we will make you strong again" Damian felt tears threaten to drip down his eyes but he refrained. He weighed his options.

"If I go with you Grayson will be spared?"

"If you come with me Gotham will be spared, I will have the league return the escaped to arkham, and the scum that you have grown so attached to will be spared. Furthermore we will make you strong once again"

"And if I refuse?"

"You will die, batman and all of your associates will die, the league will join the madmen of arkham and the city will burn" declared thalia before leaning in and whispering so only Damian could hear "and your corpse will be stripped naked, befitted with a diaper and placed on display at nanda parbat as a warning of the weakness that comes when you align yourself with the wrong side". Damian blushed the thought of his humiliation outlasting himself was too much to bear. In the league death was supposed to be honorable, pride outlasting all. To humiliate someone after their own death would be the greatest punishment. However even that price was nothing compared to the loss of his family members and his city. He knew what he had to do to defend his family, his city, and his pride.

"In that case my choice is obvious, I shall return to the league and seek repentance for my mistakes". Damian was lead towards a league plane, he glanced back at his brothers unconscious form knowing he had made the right decision. I will make this right he vowed in his head.


End file.
